


Reclaiming

by Ilya_Boltagon



Category: Captain Marvel (2019)
Genre: Amnesia, Blackmail, Gen, Kidnapping, Obsessive Behavior, Unreliable Narrator, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2020-07-25 17:48:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20029846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilya_Boltagon/pseuds/Ilya_Boltagon
Summary: Two years after the events on C-53, a bitter and twisted Yon-Rogg will stop at nothing to get revenge on Carol, holding her responsible for his fall from grace among the Kree, wanting her to suffer as much as he has.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DenseHumboldt](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DenseHumboldt/gifts).

Yon-Rogg almost growled as he brushed aside yet _another_ of the long, trailing branches of.... whatever this species of tree was called. They cast considerable amounts of shade against the relentless sun of C-53, but still, they irritated him. He had been on this blasted world for _months_, getting his bearings, staying hidden from the primitives that dwelled here, struggling to orient himself, to get as close as he could to where he had encountered- and killed- the Skrull that had been impersonating _her_.

Vers. Just thinking her name made his face contort in rage. The reason everything in his damned life had gone to hell. When she had sent him back to Hala, over two years ago, he had been interrogated for every detail of the recent events. It had been a long, painful process. The Intelligence had not been gentle as it ripped every detail and thought he had had from his mind: the fact that he had not informed Them immediately of Vers' memory beginning to return, while she was alone on C-53, the way he had misled Ronan, claiming to not know where the Skrulls- and she- had gone, to buy himself more time to get Vers back... Much good that had done! When the Intelligence had finally released him from its grasp, he had been informed that he had been stripped of his rank in Starforce for his failures, and that, for his errors in judgement, he was no longer fit to serve the military in any capacity. Even now, recalling that moment, he still felt the icy chill in his veins, the feeling that this had to be some nightmare, he could not have lost the _only_ thing he had ever valued in his life- the chance to serve the Empire. He had begged, fallen to his knees, promised anything and everything if he was just given one more chance.

It did no good. He had been stripped of all his Starforce weapons, though allowed to keep his suit because 'no true Kree would want to inherit something so sullied by a weakling'. He had reached out to his remaining fellow warriors, Att-Lass, Bron-Char and Korath, and had also tried to contact his father and brother, hoping for some aid, or at least, comfort. None replied, or even deigned to remember his existence. Exiled from Hala, he had been sent to toil in the mines on some tiny world he could not even recall the name of now. After some time there, replaying his mistakes and failures over and over, hating himself, he had come to realize that he was not the one to blame for how his lot in life had changed.

It was _her_ fault. Vers. He had saved her _life_ on C-53, after her own actions in destroying the light-speed engine had nearly killed her, he had brought her to his own home, shared his blood, his life, with her, given her a purpose far better than the one she had had on her native backwater of a world, spent _six years_ making her the best version of herself, and his reward for that was to have her turn on him, side with the damned Skrulls and see him reduced to the pitiful wretch he was now. With each passing day in the mines, his hatred of her hardened. When he was whipped by the mine's overseers, he reminded himself that this was only happening because of her. Each time he slammed his axe into the unyielding rock, he imagined he was landing a blow on her. His dreams- when he was permitted to sleep- were full of the sound of her face, her taunting laughter, as she enjoyed her freedom, out there who-knew-where, and slowly, a burning rage built within him.

She had to pay for doing this to him.

About a year ago, he had seized an opportunity. Left alone with just one overseer after another lashing, he had, without warning, turned his axe on the man, imagining it was Vers he was punishing. Then, covered in blood splatters and temporarily unattended, he had bolted, running through the mines, heading upward, through unlit, unfamiliar passages, certain he would reach the surface in the end. When he had finally done so, he had raced for the nearest ship. Coated as he was in dirt and blood, with his hair and beard long and unruly, he was fairly certain he was unrecognizable, and the pilot of the one-man vessel, a young Blue boy not even old enough to shave, had practically run at the sight of him. Yon-Rogg hadn't cared. His only goal was to get away from there, track down his malicious traitor of a former pupil, and make her pay, somehow, for what she had done to him.

Months of searching the cosmos, however, had brought him nothing but rumors of her, growing more exaggerated with each telling. He had scoffed at the stories that were being spread about 'Car-Ol', or 'Captain Marvel'. Nonsense. She was nothing but a Terran evolved through Kree science, who had turned on her betters, and any 'heroics' she had carried out were pure luck. Or lies spread by her disgusting friends, the Skrulls. He _had_ learned that the Kree still hunted her, and that had sparked another plan in his mind. If he could just find her, and return her to the people that she had betrayed. He would have to avoid other Kree until he had her, of course. He had no way of knowing if his escape from the mines had been reported, or if anyone would care, but he _had_ to get to Vers before any of them did. She was his to punish, damn it all, not theirs!

It had dawned on him then. Why search the galaxy fruitlessly for her, when there was a way to make her come to him? “You stole me! From my home, my family, my friends!” That was what she had shouted at him, the day he had come to _rescue_ her, and found her _befriending_ the Skrulls. There had been two Terrans there that day, he recalled. A male and a female. Neither of them had looked like Vers, but they had to be the friends she had spoken of. She had been angry about being 'stolen' from them, never mind that Yon-Rogg had been saving her life in doing so, so perhaps, if one of _them_ was 'stolen', she would come for them, and he could negotiate with her, her friend's freedom for her own, and get her back to Hala. She would be punished for her betrayal of their kind, and he would win back his honor.

The plan had solidified in his mind, and thus he had made his way to C-53 once more. Now, after a lengthy search, constantly moving his permanently cloaked ship to out of the way remote places to avoid discovery, he had found his way back to the region Vers had been in, called Louisiana, apparently. He had already passed the shed where he had encountered the Skrull-Vers. This area was relatively sparse, very few dwelling places, so logically one or both of her friends should dwell near here. He _hoped_ so, anyway, grimacing as he took another step through the wooded area, swatting away numerous biting insects, wiping away perspiration from his forehead, then sighing in relief when the trees ended and a small dwelling came into view. Voices echoed towards him, and he edged back into the trees, using their cover, as he listened. Female voices. Two of them. One higher-pitched than the other. Younger, perhaps? Squinting in the sunlight, he forced his eyes to focus. His heart almost skipped a beat. He stared, barely believing his luck, needing to be certain. The older female he could see, with her shiny cap of black hair... yes. That was the woman who had been with Vers, helping the Skrulls, he was certain of it. The other, he had never seen before. Considerably younger than Vers' friend, with an unruly head of curls, but resembling the older female somewhat... was that the woman's child?

Yon-Rogg half-listened to their conversation for a few minutes, letting the words wash over him, meaningless, watching and waiting for one of the two to leave. Either of them would do to lure Vers, he was sure. She would have given them some way of making contact with her, and once he took one of them, the other would be sure to work out that he was responsible. Vers would reach out to him, demanding her friend's release. He could almost hear the fury in her voice now. He would arrange a meeting, of course, he wasn't a complete monster. Once Vers surrendered to him, he would release his Terran captive. After that, whatever he might decide to do to her on their journey back to Hala... well, that would be between them, wouldn't it?

His lips curled in a triumphant grin as the older Terran retreated inside- obviously, they had no idea he was here. The juvenile female was now sprawled on the grass, holding multiple pieces of paper bound together in an odd way, her eyes on the text, her ears covered by pieces of metal and foam, connected by wires to what Yon could only assume was a primitive listening device, a disc-shaped machine on the ground beside her. The part of him that had once trained young Starforce recruits wanted to frown at this- eyes down, ears covered... did the girl have no sense of danger? The other part of him, the part that knew he needed to reclaim Vers and make her pay, was thrilled. It was all too easy to move quietly behind the child, making sure to move carefully so his shadow did not fall over her. Pausing, he thought for a moment, then etched two Kree glyphs deep into the soil with the toe of his boot, scarring the ground near to where the child sat. Just his name, to provide a clue that even the pathetic Terrans should be able to solve. To be doubly sure his presence here would be noted, he intentionally removed the one remaining glove that he still had from his old Starforce uniform, hating how tattered and filthy it was, letting it fall to the ground and using a small stone to weigh it down.

Abruptly dropping into a crouch, he clamped one hand over the girl's mouth, seized her wrists with the other, and straightened before she even had a chance to scream. The listening device was ripped from her head, tumbling to the ground beside the pile of bound paper- dimly, Yon recalled that some archaic societies called such things 'books', but dismissed the random thought. Ignoring the girl's feeble kicks and squirms, he hoisted her from the ground and strode away rapidly, back into the nearby woods.

Once out of sight of the Terran dwelling, he broke into a run. The child weighed next to nothing, and his cloaked ship wasn't far. He and his young hostage were practically on board the ship before she stopped struggling- then sank her teeth into his hand. Wincing at the unexpected pain, he spat out a curse, releasing her mouth, but not his grip on her arms. Her kicking resumed with a vengeance, and the ear-splitting scream she let out was deafening. “MOM!”

But they were on board the ship now, so, with a shrug, Yon let her drop to the floor, and closed and locked the hatch. He stared down at her dispassionately, not caring at all about the tears pooling in her wide brown eyes. “This does not have to be difficult. You are coming with me as a guarantee until I get a chance to speak to Vers, and you will _behave_, is that understood?”

The girl shrank back from him, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms round them, as if making herself as small as possible. It took him a moment to realize he had spoken in Kree, and he no longer had his Universal Translator, and he scowled.

“Do you _understand_?” Yon repeated in Universal Common, glowering at her. He had no intention of spending the time until Vers found him fending off 'attacks' from a child with delusions of escape.

She nodded, but her face set, as if she had just realized something. “You're the man- the Kree- who took Auntie Carol away.”

Yon didn't dignify that with a response- he had _saved_ Vers' life, and thus she owed him a debt, no matter what she or her pathetic friends thought. The child scowled at him. “She'll come and rescue me, you know. You won't get away with this.”

Yon laughed bitterly, not even looking at her as he strode to the controls and set a course that would bring them to a jump point not far from C-53. “Oh, you needn't worry about that. I just said I _wanted_ her to come for you. But I have no interest in hurting you. I don't care about _you_ at all. Vers and I have matters to settle between us. She is going to pay for what she did to me.”

The girl narrowed her eyes, though a shudder ran through her as the ship vibrated, taking off. “Auntie Carol's name is _Carol Danvers_. She's not Vers. And she didn't do anything to you! You kidnapped her and made her forget us!”

Yon-Rogg tensed, fists clenching. That damned Terran name. The person Vers had once been. The person she thought she still was, no doubt. He _hated_ even hearing it. The urge to strike the girl, to make her take that back, to admit she was wrong, was powerful. He settled for giving her a cold glare and striding away, breathing deeply to calm down. He wouldn't have a hope in hell of talking to Vers, much less negotiating with her, if his hostage wasn't in perfect condition when she arrived. He gave the girl one last glance. “I don't want to hear another word from you, understand? If you try to escape, or annoy me in any way, I won't hesitate to put you in restraints. So _behave_.” He let his lip curl in a sneer. “I'm sure 'Auntie Carol' will come and get you soon. Unless she's decided she prefers the Skrulls' friendship to yours, like she did with me.” He retreated to the pilot's seat, his back to the Terran child, ignoring the soft sniffling he could now hear from the girl. All he had to do now was keep this brat contained and wait until Vers reached out to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The planet Koonar and the rat-like animal (based on the slow loris, a real animal) seen in this chapter belong to Dense Humboldt. They are her creations, borrowed with permission, first seen in her story Break.

Monica stayed where she was, trying her best not to cry like a baby, arms wrapped round her knees. She was more scared than she'd ever been in her life, stuck on a ship with an alien who'd kidnapped her. She'd seen aliens before, of course, but this guy wasn't nice like Talos, Soren and the other Skrulls had been. _They'd_ never have taken her away from her home like this. This Kree guy looked _crazy_, with long tangled hair and a wild look in his eyes. He'd said he'd taken her to get Auntie Carol to come after her, but why? Did he want to take her away, mess with her mind again, turn her back into Vers, who didn't know her, or Mom, or anyone? Monica couldn't let that happen- they couldn't lose her like that again! And Auntie Carol _would_ come and get her, Monica knew that, no matter what the crazy Kree guy had said. The Skrulls were part of their family now, not replacing them!

The ship shuddered and rolled, and Monica slid a few inches before catching herself. She'd been able to feel that they were moving from the way the floor vibrated, like a car or bus did back home, but this was rougher. The Kree didn't seem worried about it though, and, glancing at him, she could see him staring out the ship's windshield, or whatever that was called on a spaceship. The stars in front of them warped into a white blur, rushing past them, then abruptly stopping. Scrambling to her feet, she stared at the sky desperately. None of the constellations she could see looked familiar, and a whimper slipped from her throat. “W-where are we?”

The Kree man barely looked at her as he replied, his tone dismissive. “Somewhere far enough from your mudball of a home that no-one would help you even if you did somehow manage to get away. So don't try it.”

Monica clenched her fists, hoping it made her look tough. She was really doing it to stop herself trembling. How far from Earth _were_ they? Where was he planning on taking her?

He was scanning the ship's console, head bent, and Monica edged closer as quietly as she could, trying to peer over his shoulder, to see what he was looking at. It was no good- all the words were written in weird blocky shapes that made no sense. She could see the Kree guy's expression though, as it spread into a creepy looking grin, and he threw back his head and laughed.

Monica jumped at the sudden sound, and edged back away from him. He didn't seem to notice, still laughing and shaking his head as he typed something into the console. "This will be _perfect_." His tone was almost gloating. The ship rolled again, changing direction. The sudden movement made Monica stumble again, and she grabbed at the nearest wall to keep her balance, her hand accidentally colliding with a red button and a couple of black switches.

Alarms blared and the ship's lights dimmed. An automated voice came from the console, saying something in a language Monica didn't understand. The Kree leaped to his feet, whirling to look at her. His face was twisted in rage, but he also looked kind of scared. In seconds, he had moved to where she was, ignoring her, frantically pressing buttons and flicking switches. More lights flashed and the alarm continued bleeping.

The ship dropped a long way and Monica's stomach jammed into her throat as she stumbled, then fell to her knees when the floor lurched violently beneath them, then rolled. She tumbled, wrapping her arms round her head, having no idea which way was up. Colliding with a cold surface, she opened her eyes, to see she was lying on the windshield. In front of her was a pretty bright green planet- and they were pretty much _falling_ towards it. Fast.

Terrified at the thought of crashing- she'd seen what happened when planes on Earth crashed, how much worse would it be if a spaceship crashed?- she looked desperately towards the Kree. He'd kidnapped her, but he was an adult, and the only one who had a clue how to pilot this ship. He'd know what to do- right?

He had, using handles built into the walls and ceiling, too high for Monica to reach, wedged himself into a tight corner, so he couldn't fall, and it looked like he had braced for impact. Scrambling to her feet, Monica all but flung herself into the same space, struggling against the fact that she suddenly seemed very light, like gravity had ceased to exist. Snarling something in his own language, the Kree yanked her against him with one arm, holding her there as tightly as he could.

There was a deafening noise of metal straining and ripping, and branches snapping. The ship was pitched back and forth like it was a pinball in a machine, knocking them both against the walls, over and over, (it almost seemed like the Kree guy was trying to keep her from being tossed around too much, but they were moving so fast, Monica couldn't be sure) before it ground to a screeching halt. The lights on the ships flickered once, then died. The recoil of the sudden stop flung Monica away from the Kree and he didn't attempt to keep his grip on her now the ship was still. Instead, he pulled himself out of the corner he had been in, glanced around, spat something she didn't understand, then moved towards the crumpled front of the ship. He scanned their surroundings through the cracked windshield, then wrenching his chair from the ground and _threw_ it at the glass.

Monica stood up slowly, feeling shaky. There were sore spots all over her, but she didn't _think_ she was badly hurt... The Kree man was now punching out the remainder of the shattered glass, not seeming to care where it went, inside the ship or out. When there was a hole big enough for him to fit through, he turned and held a hand out to Monica.

She stared for a long second, dazed and not getting it. He rolled his yellow eyes, then stepped over and grabbed her wrist, dragging her towards his self-made exit.

“We've crash-landed in the tree canopy thanks to your stupidity. The engines are dead. We need to get out of here and climb to the ground before the branches give way. Unless you'd _rather_ take another fall like that?” Not waiting for a reply, he gave her a shove towards the 'door' he had made, and, not daring to argue, she scrambled onto the console and climbed out of the ship onto a thick tree branch. Running away did cross her mind, but he was right behind her, giving her a none-too-gentle shove. “Climb. Now.”

Glancing around, and seeing nothing but a thick jungle, no signs of people, Monica decided it was best to do what he said for now, until they came across other people and she could get help. Climbing down these trees was easy- the branches were huge. She was halfway to the ground when she heard a weird chittering sound and froze. A weight dropped onto her shoulder, and she almost screamed, until she saw it was just an animal. It was kind of cute, actually, with funny little paws like hands, and a long snout. It snuffled in her ear and she giggled.

“Hurry up!” The Kree snapped at her, his tone making her gulp. The animal- whatever it was- clung to her, claws piercing her thin T-shirt and digging into her shoulder as she made her way to the jungle floor. She considered bolting, but where to? All she could see around her was more jungle. Who knew how far she'd have to go to find people? The Kree dropped heavily to the ground before she'd had time to move anyway. Ignoring Monica's new animal companion that didn't seem to be going anywhere, his hand grasped her free shoulder as he picked a direction at random and began half leading, half dragging her along with him. The heat of this place affected Monica quickly, and sweat was soon beading on her face, trickling down her back, and matting her hair. “Where are we even going? What is this place?”

He glowered at her, then his lips twisted in a cruel grin. “You're lucky. Your pitiful escape attempt landed us on the very world I was aiming for, otherwise I would be a lot angrier with you than I am. This is Koonar.”

Monica decided not to enlighten him that her button-pushing on the ship had been a mistake, not an escape attempt. “Is Koonar the name of this jungle, or the planet? And why did you want to come here?” She was still frightened, of course, but he hadn't hurt her yet, had even protected her- kind of- when the ship crashed, so she figured asking questions couldn't hurt. If he started looking scary again, she would shut up.

“Koonar is the world. A technologically stunted world that very few people have interest in.” He sneered down at her. “Much like your Terra. You'll feel right at home.” Only then did he seem to register the animal still hitching a ride on Monica's shoulder. “Making friends with the local vermin already. I should have guessed. Vers always seemed drawn to the most pathetic life-forms too.”

“That explains why she thought _you_ were her friend.” Monica's mouth muttered without real input from her brain.

His grip on her shoulder tightened enough to be painful and he wrenched her around so she was facing him, his face now contorted in a mask of rage. “Don't think I won't harm you, girl. You're a means to an end, that's all. As long as Vers _believes_ I have you, she'll rush to find me.” His eyes narrowed. “If I were you, I would think about that. I don't actually _have_ to keep you with me.” He gestured at the jungle with his free hand. “How long do you think you'd last if I left you on your own?”

Monica gulped visibly. “I-if you do that, Auntie Carol will kill you when she finds you.”

“Perhaps. But that will not help you, will it? So I suggest you keep up and keep quiet, if you ever want to see your pathetic Terra again. Understood?” He shook her a little when she didn't reply. Heart pounding, she nodded. Her animal friend was jostled, and chittered angrily at the Kree. Monica put a hand on it to try and calm it, but it leapt to the ground and bolted away into the foliage.

Straightening, the Kree sighed. “Come on. We need to find shelter before it becomes too hot to be in the open.” He didn't grab hold of her again this time, striding away without looking back, probably certain that she would follow him.

She didn't _want_ to, but he was right: she wouldn't survive this Koonar place on her own. Something deeper in the jungle made a grating, roaring sound, and Monica jumped, startled. Breaking into a run to keep up with the Kree, she followed him, half closing her eyes and wishing silently. _Please let Auntie Carol find me soon. I want to go home! Mom must be so worried_... Thinking about Mom just made her want to cry, though, so she clenched her teeth and focused on following the Kree guy. She'd be home soon, she just had to be brave and strong, like Mom and Auntie Carol were, until then. She could do that, be a hero like them, until she got rescued. Auntie Carol had survived being stolen by the Kree and had made it home; so would she.

* * *

Nick Fury scrutinized the items on display in Maria Rambeau's kitchen once more: a copy of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda', now stained with dirt, and a Walkman and headphones. Both items that had been found haphazardly on the ground near to where Maria swore her 13 year old daughter had last been seen. Near them was a tattered adult-sized glove, its color faded beyond recognition, that had been found outside, along with a Polaroid photograph that he had quickly taken of two strange symbols that had been etched into the soil. The intimidation of his one-eyed stare did not, sadly, make them give up any more clues about where Monica might be. He glanced at the pager Carol had given him again. The emergency signal was still broadcasting- and he had pressed it multiple times, desperate for a response, but nothing had happened yet.

Maria, who had been pacing around the kitchen long enough to wear a hole to the center of the Earth, shook her head, clenched her fists, and knocked the line of 'evidence' onto the floor with a scream of frustration. “How long are we just gonna stand here and wait, Fury?! My little girl is missing, and you're just gonna wait indefinitely and _hope_ Carol answers?”

Fury sucked in a deep breath. For the millionth time. “Those 'letters' we found look like the Kree glyphs Carol and I found in Lawson's papers. If they're involved, I can't bring SHIELD in- besides, there's nothing they can do. If Monica's been kidn- taken somewhere we can't find, Carol's our best bet. I know you know that.”

“It's been over twelve hours!” Maria exploded. Fury backed up in case she took a swing at him (again). “God knows what might be happening to my baby right now. I can't just sit here-”

“Something's happened to Monica?!” Carol's voice startled them, and they both whirled to see her standing in the back door, her face white.

“She-” Maria still seemed to be seething, so Fury interceded rather than have her take her fear and anger out on Carol.

“Monica disappeared from the woods back here half a day ago.” Fury spoke calmly, giving only the facts, trying to hide his own fear for the missing kid. “Her Walkman and a book she was reading were left behind, but there was no other sign of a struggle. We _did_ find a discarded glove, weighed down like it was meant to be found, and...” He hesitated, knowing Carol was just as likely to lose it when he revealed the next part, then steeled himself and showed her the Polaroid. “This was scratched into the ground where we found the other stuff.”

Carol snatched it from him, eyes widening. Slowly, her face hardened into an anger he had never seen on her before. Her eyes began glowing white, and flames surged from both her fists, reducing the Polaroid to ash. “Yon-Rogg.” She spat.

Fury's heart stopped. Yon-Rogg? The Kree commander who had, in their earlier 'adventure', been willing to simply throw him, Maria and the Skrulls, into outer space to die? He had the kid?

Carol strode to Maria, her hands bracing her friend's shoulders. “Maria. Look at me.”

She did, her face the very image of horror.

“I will find her. I am going to get her back, and this time, I will kill him. Do you hear me?”

Maria squared her shoulders. “I'm coming with you. No way am I just sitting home while my baby is out there somewhere with that psycho, got it? And if he's hurt her, at _all_, then if anyone's killing him, it'll be me.”

Carol nodded as if she'd expected no less, slipping an arm around Maria's shoulders. “Come on. Talos gave me a ride here in his ship. It's not far, and he and Soren will help us. His contacts should be able to figure out how to find Yon. A Kree with a Terran kid isn't inconspicuous. We'll find them. And he _will_ pay for this.”

Both women strode outside without another word, leaving Fury spluttering behind them. “Hey, hold up! I'm coming too!” After all, he was currently on vacation from SHIELD, and he wouldn't mind another chance to settle the score with that Kree jerk. A short walk and a few hasty explanations to their Skrull friends later, all three of them were installed in the ship and leaving Earth behind. Fury kept puzzling over this turn of events, but getting nowhere. It made no sense. What the hell did Rogg hope to accomplish by stealing Monica anyway? _Please, god, let the kid be OK..._


	3. Chapter 3

Talos paced back and forth, growling in a barely audible tone, as he read through the dozens of useless replies he had received from his undercover friends dotted here and there around the galaxy. How hard could it be to find a renegade Kree ex-soldier and a frightened Terran girl?! It wasn't as if they would be inconspicuous, no matter how much of a low profile Rogg was trying to keep. Why take the child, anyway? What, exactly, did he think that would accomplish, except for antagonizing Carol, one of the most powerful beings currently in the universe?

A small hand slid into his and he turned, lips twitching in a half smile as Soren came and stood beside him, comforting him just by being there, as she always did.

“Anything?” She asked in a whisper, glancing warily at Maria, who was sleeping, head pillowed on her arms while she sat at a table, 'helped' into slumber by the extremely mild sleeping tab Talos had slipped into her drink not long ago. The Terran woman had been getting more and more agitated as time passed, snapping at them all, and while Talos could understand why- the thought of someone stealing his little girl made his blood turn to ice- but anger wasn't going to find little Monica any sooner. Anelle, Talos' own daughter, had sat beside Maria, snuggled up to her, as if she meant to comfort the grown woman. That image made Talos' heart swell with pride at his child's compassion. She was so like Soren... Carol and Fury were sitting near them, keeping an eye on Maria, and speaking in hushed tones. Carol had a look of guilt on her face- no doubt she was blaming herself for this. Fury kept shaking his head. Hopefully he could convince Carol she wasn't to blame for whatever crazy scheme Rogg had thought up...

“Talos.” Soren's voice, tinged with indulgent exasperation, jarred him from his thoughts.

“No. No sightings yet.” He sighed.

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “Should we take this to what's left of our Council, see if they could send help?”

Talos shook his head. “And tell them what? A dangerous Kree who's killed hundreds of our kind has kidnapped a child of a species most of the Council won't have even _heard_ of, and we want them to risk more lives to try and get her back?”

Soren opened her mouth, and he raised a hand, cutting off her indignant reply. “That is not what _I _think. I'd risk a lot to save our friend's child, you know that, but it is what they will say.”

Soren grimaced, but nodded, acknowledging his point. She exhaled heavily, her brow furrowing. “Alright, so what do we know, logically? What Yon-Rogg has done here is out of line, even judging by the Kree's sense of honor. Not to mention, he was all but exiled, so he is acting alone, without orders.”

Talos snorted derisively. In his opinion, most Kree _had_ no honor. He refrained from saying so however, letting his mate puzzle through this in her mind. Sometimes, she noticed things that even he, with all his expertise in war, did not.

“So he will not go anywhere that the Kree might easily recognize him, but on the other hand, outside Kree territory, he would have no hope of going unnoticed, especially not if Monica is resisting, and I can't see that she wouldn't be.” Soren's tone had turned musing.

Talos' eyes narrowed as he followed her train of thought. “Planets on the periphery of the Empire, then? Maybe worlds the Kree have conquered, but with no current Kree presence... then Rogg could throw his weight around and no-one would dare to protest.” Soren nodded, squeezing his hand, before going and taking a seat beside Maria, easing Anelle onto her lap, and placing her own hand over the sleeping woman's tightly clenched fist, clearly wanting to offer some comfort to the terrified mother. Moving to the console once more, Talos modified his request, asking for any recent sightings of lone Kree vessels on worlds that were not _supposed_ to have any Kree presence any more.

Footsteps shuffled behind him; someone was standing there, fidgeting, uneasy. “Carol.” He didn't even bother to turn around, knowing it was her. The steps were too loud to be Anelle or Soren, Maria was still asleep, and Fury would never move that quietly if he wanted something.

She didn't reply, not even to make one of her usual sarcastic quips about 'eyes in the back of his head' or something. He turned to face her, frowning. She avoided his gaze, giving a long look in Maria's direction, then turning to face him, but keeping her eyes on the floor.

“Do you think...” She began, her voice a broken wisp of her usual confident tone. “If I hadn't...” She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “Monica must be so scared. Maria will hate me for this, if anything happens to her...”

“Let me stop you there.” Talos interjected, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Three questions. Did you ask Yon-Rogg to kidnap you eight years ago?”

“No-”

“Did you ever at any point tell him that Monica existed, and is important to you?”

“No, but-”

“Do you have any control over whatever Yon-Rogg cooks up in that stinking cesspit he calls a brain?”

Carol's lips twitched, in spite of her despondent mood. “No.”

“So there's no way this can be your fault. Is there?” Talos arched a brow, waiting for her to agree with him.

“...I suppose not.” Carol wrapped her arms round herself. “I just keep thinking, if I'd never gone back, hadn't dragged Maria into this mess, then this wouldn't be happening now.”

“No, but you know what _would_ be happening?” Fury called across to them, softly. “You'd still be serving the Kree, with no clue who you really are, they would have the Tesseract, and Talos, Soren and all the other Skrulls that Mar-Vell wanted to save would be dead. You think that'd be better?”

Talos glowered at him, looking pointedly down at Anelle, who, thankfully, appeared not to have followed the conversation. Fury followed his gaze and winced, mouthing “Sorry”. Talos nodded tersely and returned his attention to Carol, who still looked guilty, but was wavering.

“No, of course not, I'd never want that, but Monica-”

“Mmh.” Maria turned over, her eyes fluttering, then sat upright with a groan. “What... where...” Comprehension flickered in her eyes and she sprang to her feet, eyes blazing. “Any news?”

Soren put a soothing hand on her arm. “Not yet-”

“So what are we doing about it?!” Maria demanded, shoving her away. “And what in the hell did you do to me to make me fall asleep?!”

Talos spoke slowly and calmly. “I've sent out word to all my contacts to be on alert, with emphasis on worlds on the very fringes of Kree territory. He won't go far outside it, he will get no support elsewhere. As soon as they're sighted, we'll find them. As for the sleep, you needed it. How do you think you'll rescue Monica if you're running on fumes?”

Maria huffed, but didn't argue. Talos decided to take that as a victory. Fury looked from Maria to Talos. “Just one thing: is this plan of you guys- Skrulls- going into Kree territory, on the outskirts or not, really a good idea? If they find you...”

Talos and Soren exchanged mutual eye-rolls. Talos shook his head. “What are we going to do with these Terrans, really? Only two years and he's forgotten about our talent for disguise already.” To illustrate his point, he turned into Fury, right down to the eye-patch.

Maria, for the first time, looked hesitant. She ran a hand through her hair. “Look, I...” Her eyes darted from Talos, to Soren, then to Anelle, still staring innocently up at them, barely listening to the 'boring' grown-up talk. “I didn't really think about that side of it. I need to get Monica back, but I don't want you to put yourselves or your family in danger...”

Soren stepped up to her, staring her dead in the eyes. “And who was it who risked her life two years ago, taking on a race she'd never encountered before in a fire-fight, to protect people she had only just met? You helped save _our_ family, and we _will_ do the same for yours.”

Maria's eyes darted to Talos, and he nodded. Maria visibly gulped. “Thanks. I...” She shook her head. “Thanks isn't enough, but it's all I got.”

“Thank us when we actually get your girl back.” Talos suggested. The console beeped with an incoming call He moved to answer it, Soren, Anelle and their passengers following like a swarm of flies, moving in a group. It felt like no-one breathed as Talos answered the call, then set up the translator so it played in Universal Common instead of Skrullish.

“Talos, it's Lyja. I'm stealing supplies from Koonar again, rations, medicine. I'm just going to state again that this job is _boring_, stuck in a jungle, stealing supplies that'll never be missed, even if I am doing it on a world that technically belongs to the Kree- by the way, the locals don't think that. They've gotten quite rebellious in the Kree's absence-”

“Lyja. The point?” Talos ground out. Lyja was one of his best spies and thieves, excellent at blending in wherever she was, but she certainly loved to talk.

“Oh, right. Your request. An unmarked Kree pod crashed landed here, caught in the upper tree canopy. It had been hacked into with an old Starforce code, GH19961699.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Talos' saw Carol's face tighten, and assumed she recognized the code, but didn't comment.

Oblivious, Lyja continued speaking. “Not sure on the exact timescale, but some hunters in the jungle found it, and apparently there are two sets of footprints leading away. One of them adult, Kree military style boots, the other considerably smaller, could be a child. Prints from some weird shoe type they've never seen before. Some of the natives who live out in the jungle backed this up, heard someone speaking Kree, then some girl-child babbling in a language they didn't know. Might be the ones you're after.” She paused. “Can I ask why-”

“No, you cannot. Stay on world for now. I'm coming to join you, with some allies. Keep listening, find out where they are if you can. Get visual confirmation if you can do it without being discovered. We'll be there soon.” Talos hesitated, then spoke again, in Skrullish. “If you get eyes on them, and the child is hurt in any way, get her away from the Kree and kill him.” Leaving it at that, he hung up the call, then looked up to see Soren already keying in the co-ordinates for Koonar. He caught Carol's eye: her face could've been carved from granite. “That code is Yon-Rogg's?”

Carol nodded tightly, her face unreadable, a storm churning in her eyes.

Talos sent Maria a smile he intended to be reassuring, but had a feeling it came out more grim than comforting. “We've got them.”

Maria's hands were bunched to her mouth. She was trembling in relief, Carol and Soren on either side of her, supporting her. “Can't your friend go and get Monica now? Get her away from him?”

“No.” It was Carol who replied. “Better not risk tipping him off that we've tracked him down already. If he figures that out, he'll relocate and we'll have to do this all over again. We'll get there, track him ourselves, and get Monica back.” She slammed her fists together, igniting flame and sending sparks darting through the air. “And then...” The flames billowed. “Hurting me is one thing, but going after my family? Yon-Rogg's going to be sorry he was ever born.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lyja and Anelle are both canon female Skrulls from Marvel Comics. I just re-purposed the names for my story. The code that Lyja refers to is a mashup of the numeric designation of the MCU (199999) and the designation of the mainstream Marvel Comics universe (616).


	4. Chapter 4

Yon-Rogg sighed in relief as the edge of the tree line came into view at last. Civilization. Finally. Of a sort, anyway. He would be able to find somewhere that he and the girl could remain hidden and unnoticed until Vers found them. Not to mention, hopefully, he could groom himself somewhat so he resembled himself and not some wild savage creature when he saw Vers again. He scanned the outlines of what passed for buildings on Koonar, trying to determine which would be the easiest to slip into. Stumbling footsteps, heavy breathing and a yelp behind him made him roll his eyes. The girl had been rushing to keep up with him for the past hour or so, and from the sounds of it, she had tripped. _Again_. It was pitiful. Were Terran youth taught nothing of endurance or survival? He glared at her over his shoulder as she came to a stop just behind him- twigs and leaves in her hair, dirt all over her hands and knees from the times she'd fallen over, and sweat pouring down her face. She looked almost as bad as he did. Moving through the populated region of Koonar was going to be difficult. Turning, he stepped towards the girl, and she stepped back, almost recoiling from him.

“Stop that,” he snapped. She couldn't act like this in front of the natives of this world, or he might find himself dealing with trouble he didn't want to bother with. He needed to find some way of keeping her in line, but how? Obviously, now that some kind of civilization was in sight, the threat of abandoning her in the jungle to starve would not work- wait. Starve. When had either of them last eaten or drunk? He had long since learned to stifle and ignore the demands of his body- nourishment had not been common in the mines, after all- but the girl... It had been over a day since he took her, or close enough. He eyed her. “Are you hungry?”

Her eyes widened, but after a moment, she gave a tiny, barely noticeable nod. He tugged her to his side, putting an arm round her shoulder. In truth, it was so he could keep hold of her, prevent her from bolting, and the strength in his grip as he gripped her arm would make that clear to her, but to any passers-by, it would hopefully look as if he was offering comfort and support to the child. “Come on. We're going into the city.” Using that word for the pathetic collection of buildings before him almost made him laugh, but that _was_ the official title of this place. “We'll get cleaned up, find nourishment and somewhere safe to wait until our 'guest' joins us.” He began walking again, pulling her with him, not giving her a chance to question him or argue. He did notice a green and black winged insect in the girl's messy hair, near her ear, and considered brushing it away, but decided that could too easily be interpreted as a kindness, and so let it be. It wasn't hurting her anyway. “And you will do what I say, when I say, or you will be sorry. Understood?” To illustrate his meaning, he tightened his grip on her shoulder, hard enough to make the bones within shift and grind together. She bit back a whimper of pain, but nodded, biting her lip. The vividly colored winged insect that was still tangled in the child's hair buzzed loudly, almost as if responding angrily to his words. He shook his head, pushing the fanciful thought away as he hauled the girl towards the city- the idea was ridiculous.

* * *

Monica felt... weird. Like she was in the middle of a bad dream as the Kree marched her through the city, keeping a tight grip on her. She was still scared, but everything felt kind of distant, like it was happening to someone else and couldn't hurt her. She was really hungry too, and her mouth was parched. It made her feel light-headed, not helped by the fact that everything on this world- Koonar- seemed really light, as if gravity had less power here. Maybe it didn't, what did she know? People were staring at her and the Kree as they walked through the town. She guessed they looked weird, and to be fair, she was staring at the locals too. They were all so _tall_, with light blue skin and silver speckling, and they seemed to float rather than walk. It was unnerving. She kind of hoped one of them would stop the Kree and question him, maybe then she could run away? Her shoulder throbbed from when he had crushed it earlier, reminding her why that would be a bad idea. Besides, if she did manage to run, where would she go? Towards the blue, airy people? She might not be able to even talk to them, so then what would she do? Besides... the Kree _had_ said something about food, and the churning in her stomach insisted she stay with him until she'd eaten. Maybe then she would have a chance to run.

A tall blue-and-silver being wearing a white tunic walked up to them, towering over the Kree, and despite her vague plans of running, Monica shrank back behind the Kree- at least she _knew_ him and what he wanted: another alien might be even more dangerous. The two began talking in some language that she couldn't understand, and her shoulders slumped. She'd been right, even if she did get away from the Kree somehow, there'd be no-one who understood what she said. No-one was going to help her until Auntie Carol showed up. Tears pricked her eyes and she stared at the floor quickly- the Kree might get mad if he saw she was crying, but she couldn't stop, even though she didn't know _why_ she was crying.

“Stop.” A tiny voice buzzed, making her ear vibrate. She jumped, and would have screamed if a large green-and-black butterfly hadn't flapped in front of her mouth, pressing there, almost as if... As if it wanted her to be quiet. The Kree glared down at her, noticed the bug now flitting in front of her face, and rolled his eyes, before returning to his conversation with the other alien. He probably just thought the bug had scared her. Monica eyed it carefully. It had _talked_, she knew it. Unless she was going crazy... It flitted back and forth in front of her, before flying into her hair and sitting next to her ear again. “Quiet.” It buzzed. It really did sound just like insect buzzing forced into words. Really weird. And kind of hard to understand. She had to concentrate hard for the noise to make sense. But, if an insect could talk, and was being nice to her... two years ago, Anelle had told her that really gifted Skrulls could transform into any living creature, and some of them could even force speech from any form they were in. Was the butterfly a Skrull? If it was, maybe she could convince it to help her. She tried to figure out how to ask without giving the maybe-Skrull away to the Kree. “I want to go home.” She muttered experimentally. The Kree and the other alien ignored her.

“Soon.” The butterfly buzzed. Monica had to bite her lip to keep from gasping. Reaching for the 'butterfly', she lifted it onto her hand, holding it close to her face.

“Are you a Skrull?” She whispered, praying the Kree didn't hear.

“Yes.” It buzzed. “Sssh.” It flitted back behind her ear, hiding in her hair, as the other alien nodded at the Kree and beckoned. It strode away, and the Kree caught hold of her again, tugging Monica with him as he followed, the Skrull-butterfly hiding in her hair. They headed into a low building, with a few chairs dotted here and there, and a line of people of all sizes and colors waiting to speak to another of the too-tall blue aliens behind a counter. Monica could smell... something roasting, and her stomach growled in response. The Kree, however, didn't join the line, instead dragging her towards another door, opening it and shoving her through without a word. The door closed behind them, revealing what looked like a living... space. A chair, a bed, a table, and what looked like a kitchen with a small cooker. He shoved her towards what looked like a sink. Water began flowing from the single tap as soon as she got close.

“Clean yourself up.” The Kree snapped. “As soon as I've done the same, I'll see about food.” He disappeared behind another door, leaving Monica alone. The sound of running water came from where he had gone, a bathroom maybe, and after waiting for a minute to see if her Skrull friend did anything, she went to the sink, washing some of the dirt from her face and hands. Splashing water onto the scrapes on her knees was harder, and stung a bit, but at least the grazes were clean-ish now. The butterfly-Skrull was flying back and forth in front of the bathroom door, like it was listening to the Kree. It obviously wasn't going to help her, it was only here to spy on the Kree, probably. She would get no help from it.

In a surge of inspiration (or panic) Monica ran to the outer door, but it seemed to be locked, and she couldn't figure out how to open it. She was stuck in here. Sinking to the ground, she wrapped her arms around her knees. The Kree kept saying he would let her go once Auntie Carol found them, but what if she didn't? He hadn't done anything to let anyone know he had Monica, or to say where they were, so how was Auntie Carol supposed to know? She began rocking back and forth, unable not to cry this time. She was a thousand light-years from home, and no-one knew where she was. She would never see her home or her family again. She was going to be lost out here forever.

* * *

Lyja flapped the wings of her current form in agitation. Her orders had been to trail the Kree and his young captive to keep an eye on things, and this had seemed the best way to go unnoticed- who would look twice at an insect? But flying after them non-stop had been tiring, so she had hitched a ride in the girl's riot of curly hair. Listening to the Kree's sickening lies about his 'orphaned niece' and coercing the Koonarian into loaning them his own home indefinitely had been bad enough, but watching the child's resolve falter, and seeing her giving in to despair, had made Lyja snap. She'd risked blowing her cover and nearly exhausted herself by altering this insect's DNA to create an awkward mouth and tiny vocal cords, just to force a few simple words from the invertebrate form she was in, so the girl would know she wasn't alone, and she couldn't even do that right apparently, as the girl was now in hysterics, sobbing on the floor.

Lyja longed to comfort her properly, but couldn't risk shifting back into her true form with only one door between her and Yon-Rogg. Discovery was too likely, and she'd been ordered not to reveal herself unless he actually harmed the child. Technically, she had already revealed herself, against Talos' orders, but she had only wanted to show the girl that she wasn't alone, and it didn't appear to have helped much anyway. Emitting another angry buzz, she continued flitting in front of the bathroom door. At least she could stay between Rogg and the girl, and annoy the Kree- as long as he didn't lash out and crush the fragile form she was in. Why had she chosen a form with no natural defences, again? She would have sighed if she was capable of it right now. _Come on, Talos_. The sooner her General turned up, the sooner she could resume her true form and show Yon-Rogg exactly what she thought of him, for kidnapping and terrorizing a child like this. Preferably with her fists. She grinned inwardly at the thought. Taking on a Kree, alongside her General, and possibly even meeting the legendary Captain Marvel... Despite the bleakness of this situation, Lyja found she couldn't wait for the fight to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone is curious, the butterfly form Lyja is in is a Dido Longwing. And I have no idea if Skrulls can take on animal or insect form and still be able to speak, but in my story, they can.


	5. Chapter 5

Maria paced back and forth, her heart pounding as the ship traveled- too slowly- towards the greenish orb of the world that was apparently called Koonar. She couldn't care less about its name if she was honest, she just wanted to get down there as fast as possible. Her baby was on that planet, essentially alone, and she couldn't focus on anything but getting to her. And if that Kree psycho had done _anything_ to hurt Monica, Maria would kill him with her bare hands.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she turned to see Soren gazing sympathetically at her. “We'll make planetfall soon, you know. Wearing a hole in the floor won't make it happen any faster.”

“You don't unders-” She cut herself off. Soren probably could picture all too well what it would be like to have your only child in danger. “What would you be doing if it were Anelle in Monica's position?”

The Skrull woman grinned wryly, her eyes flickering to her daughter, sitting on Fury's lap, telling him some long involved story, with Talos and Carol chuckling softly as they listened. “I'd probably have commandeered the ship long before now, if I'm being honest. Probably have done that as soon as I knew what world she was being held on. I suppose I should thank you for showing restraint.”

Maria snorted. “It's not restraint as much as not knowing jack about navigating space or flying a spaceship. If I could've done that, I would have.”

A high-pitched giggle from Anelle made them both turn. The little girl's laughter seemed to be a result of something Carol had said, since she was smirking and both Fury and Talos looked sulky. Watching the child spring from Fury's lap onto Carol's, snuggling up to her, made Maria's eyes well. Monica had always done that when she was tiny.... god, what was happening to her little girl right now? Why had she even let her out of her sight, back on Earth? She knew, rationally, that that was stupid- Monica was thirteen now, and wouldn't want her hovering all the time, but, to have had _this_ happen... It was a nightmare.

“She'll be fine,” Soren must have guessed Maria's thoughts from her expression. Her tone was quiet, but certain. “Monica has had excellent role models in you and Carol. She knows how to look after herself.”

Maria nodded, trying to believe that. “How long until we land?”

“Less than thirty minutes, now.” Talos stood, checking something on a handheld device of some kind. “My... associate has a beacon implanted under her skin. I just activated it remotely so we can track her. We should be able to land within minutes of her location. Assuming she's done as I've asked and shadowed Rogg and Monica, we'll have sorted this within an hour.”

Fury stood, stretching. “So we should probably figure out who's going and who's staying, right? I mean, the kid here,” he gestured at Anelle, “Can't be left on her own.”

Talos, Soren and Carol exchanged looks. Maria jumped in before any of them could speak. “If any of you even think of suggesting I stay here, you can-” Looking at Anelle, now sitting on the table, looking up innocently, she reconsidered what she had been about to say. “You can think again.” She finished weakly.

Talos visibly sighed. “Look, whoever goes down there needs to _not_ react in any way to seeing a planet full of aliens. No offence, but you...”

“I can act normal if I have to, if it means I get my daughter back faster!” Maria snapped, glaring daggers at him.

Soren held her hands up. “It's not just that, Maria. We,” she gestured at herself, Talos and Carol, “Have Universal Translators, so we can understand any local language. We'll be able to make ourselves understood, at least. You...”

“Well, don't you have any of these things spare?! If not, I'll just.... god, just pretend I'm deaf and one of you can translate for me.” It came out more harshly than Maria had intended, and she felt a bit guilty for yelling, but _no way_ was she just going to sit here and wait and hope they got Monica back unscathed.

Another audible sigh from Talos followed her suggestion, but Soren rested her hand on her husband's arm, murmuring something in the trilling language that the Skrull children tended to use. He frowned but nodded. Soren reached behind her own ear, removing a tiny silver disk the size of her little fingernail that must have been adhered to her skin, and stepped closer to Maria, pressing the disk just above Maria's own ear.

“Borrow this. Just while you're down there. I'll remain here, keep the ship primed to leave.” Soren's eyes met Maria's. “Monica will need you to be there when she's found.”

Grateful that she understood, Maria nodded, prodding at the disc, which had to be the translator, wincing a little as it stuck to her skin, smarting a bit. Soren turned to Fury. “It might be better if you stayed here. We don't have any spare translators, and Koonarians have never seen Terrans. Maria needs to go, but... We want this to be as uncomplicated as possible.”

He frowned, but grunted something that could have been an agreement. The ship, currently on autopilot, shifted slightly, then there was a strangely familiar lurch in Maria's stomach, like being on an elevator going down.

“We're inbound,” Carol stated, confirming Maria's thought. “OK. Maria, when we land, stay close to me, got it? We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves until Monica's safe with us. _Then_ I'll deal with Yon-Rogg.” Carol sounded her usual bossy self, just like she had before the crash, before everything had changed, and the bittersweet recollection made Maria smile slightly, glad some things never changed. She nodded her agreement.

“Talos, you coming with us?” Carol arched a brow.

“Of course!” He sounded almost insulted at the suggestion he wouldn't, immediately shifting form into some too-tall, stick-thin blue humanoid with silver flecked skin. “By the way, Maria, this is what Koonar's natives look like, so get all your staring over with now, if you can. We're going to see a lot of them.”

She realized she _was_ staring, and blinked, looking away and mentally slapping herself to knock it off. At least Yon-Rogg and Monica would be easy to spot, looking nothing like the natives, and if they'd been seen, the people of Koonar would remember them.

The ship's landing was soft, a hell of a lot gentler than the landing of any plane Maria had ever flown- she barely noticed they'd landed until Talos lowered the gangplank. As he whispered to Soren and Anelle, she strode to the open hatch, taking a deep breath, Carol right beside her. Barely hesitating, she marched out onto the alien planet, her daughter the only thought in her mind as Talos and Carol fell into step with her. The bizarreness of her surroundings would normally have had her gawking- the people, the architecture, the landscape- but right now she couldn't care less. Talos took the lead, effecting a casual but brisk walk as he tracked his associate's beacon, leading them along a busy street, ignoring the stares of bystanders, heading towards a large, run-down building.

Maria clenched her fists to keep them from shaking, praying silently that this other Skrull was still with Monica, as Talos had said she would be. If not... No, she wouldn't, couldn't, think about that. _Hold on, Monica. Mom's here. Just a little bit longer. Please, please, be OK..._


	6. Chapter 6

Yon-Rogg was running through ways to restrain Vers once he had traded her for the sniveling Terran child. From the wary look the girl was giving him, he might inadvertently have slipped into speaking aloud, but it didn't matter. Her opinion of him was inconsequential. His fists clenched, then relaxed. Over and over. It had been over a standard day since he had taken the girl. How long should he wait for Vers to find them? Should he risk attempting contact himself, in case, for some reason, her Terran friends had not told her what he had done, or she could not find him? He ran his hands through his too-long hair in agitation, already running low on patience. More stifled whimpering came from the brat, and Yon turned to glare at her, grinding his teeth. She had been mewling, on and off, for the past few hours, and he tired of hearing it. “Be _quiet_.”

She curled up tighter on herself where she sat on the floor, arms wrapped around her knees, but didn't otherwise respond. He stepped closer, towering over her, as tears ran down her face, and rolled his eyes. “Stop crying. You're not an infant, you're half grown and you're not hurt. There is no need to be foolish.” No Kree child of her age would be this backward in their behavior!

Her breathing increased in tempo, becoming almost frantic, as she swallowed repeatedly, blotting at her face with her hands, clearly trying to do as he said, a look of utter fear in her eyes, but more tears fell, despite her efforts, accompanied by more sniffling. Yon's heart rate felt like it increased with every _stupid_ noise she made, and sweat beaded on his forehead. She choked out a sob, and a vein throbbed in his temple. She was giving him a headache. “_Be quiet_,” he ground out. It came out more like a hiss than actual words.

More pathetic gulping and swallowing. A whimper followed and Yon snapped, lunging forward and seizing her by the arms, hefting her off her feet, shaking her. Hard. “Stop that or I really _will_ give you something to cry about!”

Her self-pitying whimpering was almost immediately replaced with cries of pain, and from the look on her face.... The red fog of anger drained from his mind. Yon dropped her, feeling incredulous about her extreme overreaction, and she curled into a ball once again, favoring her left arm, cradling it against herself, her face several shades paler than it had been. He cocked his head to one side. He hadn't hurt her, had he? All he had done was lift her from the ground with perhaps a _little_ more strength than was needed. Vers had never been that fragile, so why was this girl different? His brow furrowed. If he had actually hurt her... He stepped closer, crouching, reaching for her injured arm. “Stop fussing and let me see.”

She recoiled, then scooted backwards away from him, shaking her head. He exhaled noisily. “You're hurt, I am trying to see how badly. Stay _still_.” He swatted away a large green winged insect that was buzzing furiously at him, sending it careening into a wall. He had just managed to get hold of the girl's damaged arm, when the door, now behind him, exploded in a flash of light, sending shards of white-hot metal flying every which way, making him start, and without meaning to, his grip on the girl's arm tightened. It was pure reflex, as was his instinctive attempt to turn and observe the new threat. His mind must have been more scattered than he realized, however, because he somehow forgot to let go of the Terran girl, and the next sounds he heard were the loud crack of a snapping bone, and a true pained screech from the girl. He leaped back from her, hands raised- he hadn't meant to do that! “I-I'm sorry.” His eyes locked onto the girl's forearm. A piece of white bone now jutted out through torn skin, and red blood welled up around the wound.

Naturally, it was at this very moment that Vers marched through the remains of the door, her eyes doing a fast sweep of the room, taking in the scene. His heart leaped at the sight of her, though in glee at seeing her again, or hate, Yon had no idea. She focused on the girl, and her broken arm, before slowly looking at him, her eyes narrowed, beginning to sear with her power.

He couldn't tear his gaze from her face, even though he knew, on some level, that he was in danger. How long had he longed to see her again, since they had parted? He hated her, and yet, she had been such a huge part of his life for so long, he would take her back if she simply apologized for what she had done to him. That was a weakness, he knew it, and yet he didn't care. “Vers.” It came out almost without his conscious knowledge, her name torn from his lips. He barely noticed when two other figures shoved past him, rushing to the child. It no longer mattered. Vers was here, and now he could find peace, one way or another.

Her expression was of utter disgust and hate. While her companions, whoever they were, flustered around the child, she skewered him with her eyes. When she finally spoke, her voice was twisted with an anger he had never heard from her before, not even when she had been hurt and confused on C-53.

“You...” Her eyes had flitted back to the girl, now curled up in her mother's arms, with some native of Koonar tending to her. Yon barely noticed, focusing on Vers as if they were the only beings on this world at all.

Vers' hands shook, her face contorted with rage. “You have _five seconds_ to get out of here, or I'll be sending what's left of you to Hala in a goddamned bucket.”

She didn't sound as if she were joking, but Yon's lips twitched. He'd missed that fire, that vital energy that coursed through her. He stayed where he was. This was the showdown he had been waiting for, after all, the chance to settle things between them once and for all. “I'm not going anywhere, Vers.”

She advanced on him, her whole body beginning to glow with cosmic light. “Three. Seconds.”

He didn't move. He refused to be cowed or controlled by her again, ever.

Light and heat exploded before him, around him, and everything went white.


	7. Chapter 7

As soon as Yon-Rogg's form crumpled to the ground, several thousand feet from where he had been standing, Carol cast him out of her mind and raced to Maria's side, desperate to check on Monica- and possibly to grovel at her feet, and Maria's, in apology for bringing this insanity into their lives. Monica was wrapped in her mother's arms, Maria's head tilted so her cheek rested atop Monica's hair. A female Skrull she didn't recognize had appeared from... somewhere, deep in conversation with a still disguised Talos while he examined Monica's arm. Bone was jutting out through the skin, blood welling around it, and a fresh surge of hate pulsed through Carol. Her eyes shot to where Yon lay, unmoving. The faint smell of charred flesh reached her nose. Had she _killed_ him with that blast? Did she want that or not? The thought sent a chill through her, but it vanished when Monica let out a cry of pain as Talos manipulated her injury, tugging the exposed bone back under the skin, while the female Skrull- Lyja, had Talos called her, earlier?- retrieved two thin branches from a tree that grew just outside the main door that Carol had destroyed, and a few pieces of twine from... somewhere, and together they expertly splinted the broken arm. Once that was done, Talos carefully helped Monica to her feet. Lyja was trying not to stare at Carol with awe, but not really succeeding. Carol barely noticed. Talos was supporting Monica on one side, Maria the other, leaving Carol directly facing all four of them.

Monica's face, despite being tear-stained, her eyes glazed with pain, split into a beaming smile when she saw Carol. “I knew you'd come and find me, Auntie.” Her words were almost slurred, the fear, exhaustion and pain of her ordeal catching up with her. She reached out with her good arm for a hug. Carol hesitated, catching Maria's eye, waiting for permission, guilt over having caused all this still crushing her. Maria rolled her eyes, jerking her head for Carol to get over there. Eyes prickling with tears, she obeyed, hugging Monica as gently as she could, almost sobbing with relief that they'd found her and her injuries weren't worse.

“Where's the Kree guy gone? I don't want him to be here anymore.” Monica still sounded odd, as if she were delirious and/or in shock.

“He's gone, honey, don't worry,” Maria soothed.

Talos caught Carol's eye. “We need to get back to the ship, get her proper medical care. What are we doing with...” He glanced over at where Yon had ended up.

_I don't care, let him burn in hell!_ Was Carol's initial thought, but... she'd seen his eyes right before she'd let her anger take over. He'd looked wild, crazed. Unwell. “Do you have enough space to secure a prisoner?”

Talos scowled, but nodded. “Yes.”

Maria looked at him, then at Carol, her eyes wide. “You guys have got to be kidding. You want to bring that _psycho_ aboard the ship, after what he did to Monica?!” She clutched her daughter closer protectively.

“He'll be secured and guarded at all times,” Talos assured her. “He's in no condition to try anything anyway. It's better to have him where we can keep an eye on him, rather than leaving him unwatched. And,” A feral grin curled his lips, looking out of place on the Koonarian form he wore, “I did find out there are several warranties out for him in the Xandarian Empire. We can just turn him over to the Nova Corps. He'll spend the rest of his days in a cell.”

“That's.... not even close to what he deserves, but I'll take it.” Maria grudgingly agreed. “As long as I get to give him one good punch first.”

“Agreed. We can form a line.” Lyja grinned, the look almost feral, as she and Maria exchanged satisfied looks.

Monica stumbled, her eyes half closing. She was reeling by this point, and without hesitating, Talos swept her into his arms, carrying her like she was still a little girl, heading for their ship, Maria and Lyja jogging to keep up. He called over his shoulder, smirking a little. “Bring the 'trash' with you, will you, Carol? Thanks.”

Barely suppressing her own unpleasant smile, Carol marched over to where Yon lay, surreptitiously checking his breathing and pupil response, refusing to admit she was relieved he didn't seem that badly hurt, before unceremoniously hauling him over one shoulder and flying after Talos, Lyja and Maria, not caring in the slightest if Yon's head bashed into things as they flew- it might actually knock some sense back into him! Not that he'd need his wits in prison on Xandar, but she fully intended to get some answers out of him before that, about what in the _hell_ he'd been thinking, what he'd hoped to accomplish here. And then she planned to join Maria and Lyja in punching him. Repeatedly.


	8. Chapter 8

Yon-Rogg woke slowly, groaning in pain before he had even pried his eyes open. His head was pounding, every inch of him was sore and tender, and there was a sharp blazing pain in the centre of his chest, radiating agony outwards. Moving as little as possible, he attempted to take stock of his surroundings. He had been lain flat on a metal floor, which was vibrating, indicating a ship in motion. Through his blurred vision, he could see that he was the only thing in the room, and it was relatively small, and unfurnished, the ship's framework clearly visible in the walls and ceiling- an unused storage area of some kind, perhaps? The door was sealed, and possibly locked, though at the moment he was in no condition to get to his feet and test that.

Breathing through the pain that pulsed through his entire body, he struggled to piece together what had happened, how he had gotten here. He had been... _Come on, think!_ He chided himself silently. He had been on... Koonar, was it? There had been someone with him, a young girl... had he been training a new Starforce recruit? Odd that there had been just one, if that were the case. No, that didn't feel right, he hadn't gone off-world with any new recruits since he'd found Vers- Vers. Yon tensed, his fists clenching. She had something to do with the girl, somehow... why couldn't he remember?! His heart-rate increased. If he was locked in here, wherever here was, injured, what had happened to the child? Was Vers with her? If not, where were they? Were they safe? Before he could really begin to panic, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand, hating the pained groan that slid from his mouth as he did so. Breathing heavily, he leaned against a wall, his vision swaying, waiting for the sudden rocking turbulence of the ship to subside. It eased, but only after a few minutes- was this vessel flying through a solar storm?

The door hissed and clanked as it unlocked. Voices, barely audible, reached him, male and female both, he thought. Yon whipped his head round to see what was approaching: ally, captor or threat? Only then did it dawn on him that he was unarmed, did not have his communicator, or his Magnitron gauntlets that were his own personally made weapons. His uniform was tattered and filthy, its colors almost unrecognizable, the gloves and helmet missing altogether. On top of that- he felt his own face cautiously- his hair was a long ragged mess and although he always kept his facial hair to an absolute minimum, he now had a beard, as unkempt and unwashed as the rest of him. He edged away from the door as it slid open- what in Hala's name was going on? How long had he been held captive in this strange ship? Where was the girl he must have been mentoring? Where was his Starforce team? And _why_ had even thinking of Hala, his own homeworld, sent icy shivers down his spine, and a feeling of dread coursing through him? What could there possibly be to fear on Hala?

He managed to overcome his confusion and unease to look up and meet the gaze of whoever had just entered the room, and his jaw dropped at what he saw. Vers, alive and seemingly in full health, still in her Starforce uniform, but with its colours altered- instead of the traditional Kree blues and greens, now she wore a garish mix of red, blue and gold. She also wore a non-regulation brown jacket that he had never seen before. Her expression, far from her typical warm cheerfulness, was hard, cold and utterly livid. Was she angry with _him_? Why? His heart almost stopped. Could she, somehow, have remembered her true origin as a Terran? Had _she_ locked him away in this ship as revenge? But then, why hadn't the rest of the team- Att-Lass, Bron-Char, Korath and Minn-Erva- intervened and reasoned with her? He blinked at her for a few minutes, trying to puzzle this out. Movement behind her made his eyes snap sideways- when would his head stop pounding?!- and then he recoiled, his entire body tensing in hate and disgust, instinctively reaching for a weapon that wasn't there at his side.

The Skrull general Talos stood just behind Vers, an unknown Skrull female beside him, their hands linked. Vers continued staring daggers at him, apparently not at all concerned about two of their hated enemies standing mere inches behind her.

He shook his head helplessly, unable to make any sense of this- was this a nightmare or a hallucination? He locked eyes with Vers, his tone pleading. “Vers, what... what's going on? Where are we? Where is our team?” He cast a look of hate at Talos and the other Skrull. Was Vers their captive? Had they harmed the rest of his team, or the child he had had with him before he woke up here? But Vers wasn't in any form of restraint or binding, and she didn't seem distressed with the Skrulls, only with him, for some reason. He couldn't make sense of it, and looked at her imploringly. “What are you doing with... _them_?”


	9. Chapter 9

Carol was grinding her teeth as Yon stared her down. After several minutes of heated debate with Talos, she'd been allowed to speak to Yon alone, filling him in on the two years that his mind had apparently blanked out. She had no doubt that Talos was spying on them somehow, but at least they had the semblance of being alone. She knew Yon would never talk in front of Skrulls, not about anything important. He claimed to not even remember Staforce's last mission on Torfa, let alone anything that had happened since. Yon shook his head, frowning at her, looking utterly lost. Carol folded her arms, holding his gaze. He sighed heavily. “You cannot possibly expect to believe this, Vers, it's outrageous. If either of us has a problem recalling recent events, it's you.”

Her fists clenched. “First, don't call me that. It's not and never was my name, and you know _that_, at least, no matter what else you've 'forgotten.'” She put air quotes around the word, making it clear she didn't believe him, although... his insistence on not remembering anything since Hala, two years ago, even though she was the only one in the room with him... it was an incredible acting job if he was indeed faking it. But then again, she knew better than most how good a liar he was. He'd successfully lied to her about her entire life for six years and she'd never suspected anything. She couldn't trust a word he said. She had to remember that.

Yon spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “Vers was on your identification tag when I found you. What else am I supposed to call you, then?”

“Carol. My real name. You kno-” She cut herself off. No, he hadn't known that. It had never come up during their last meeting, had it?

“Car-Ol.” He parsed the word slowly, separating it into two syllables, the way most Kree names were pronounced. He tried to smile. “It suits you.”

The urge to smile back at him was strong. She crushed it quickly. Old habit, bad idea. “Stop acting as if we're still on good terms, Yon.”

“Why? Even _if_ I accept this... absurd tale of heroic Skrulls and the Intelligence- and myself, and our team- turning on you- can I be held responsible if I don't recall any of it?” He smiled in that disarming way he always used to when he wanted her to forget she was angry.

Carol's nails dug into her palms as she resisted the urge to give in and let him manipulate her again. “Yes.” She ground out between her teeth. “Because I'm still furious with you for stealing me from Terr- Earth, and lying to me about everything for six years.”

He arched a brow, suddenly looking far more composed, as if he'd just solved a puzzle. “So, is all this some convoluted attempt at punishing me? Because if it is,” His lips twitched. “You really could have come up with a more believable version of events.”

Her jaw dropped. “You think- Yon, you just _saw_ Talos and Soren. If I'm making all this up, why would they be here?”

He shrugged. “More than likely, you've convinced Att and Bron to wear holos and play some sort of prank on me.” He shook his head. “A good attempt, but this was too far-fetched for me to really believe it. Now, where are we really?”

Carol's anger flared and her fists responded to that before her mind did. Not bothering with her powers, she punched him in the face, using far more force than she ever would have in their sparring sessions, years ago. There was an audible sound of bone crunching, the blow sending him reeling. “Stop it! Stop _acting_ like you don't remember a damned thing, like nothing has changed!”

He staggered back to his feet, one hand pressed to his face, his eyes wide- and wary. The look of fear on his face was obvious. She glared at him. “Still think I'm making up everything I've said?”

His face paled. “You- you _have_ to be. All this... it can't be real, it just can't be.” His eyes flickered from side to side, then he jerked as if something had just occurred to him. “_If_ you're telling me the truth, then where have I been for the past year or so, while you've been off on your 'crusade'?” His voice had risen slightly in challenge.

She threw her hands up. “How the hell should I know, Yon? I sent you back to Hala, then got on with my life. I hadn't heard anything about you until you showed up on Earth and kidnapped my best friend's daughter in some warped attempt at getting back at me.”

He shook his head. “I... did what?”

She stared him down, letting her powers ignite, making her eyes glow. “Let me guess, you don't remember that either? Sneaking onto Earth, kidnapping a little girl and resurfacing on Koonar for some reason, just to get me to face you again?”

His gold eyes darkened with some turmoil, as if he was struggling to remember. “I.... there was a child, with curly hair... I thought she was a Starforce recruit...”

Carol snorted. “Really? That's what you're going with? Let me refresh your memory: you stole her from her home, hauled her into space, landed on Koonar and dragged her through the jungle. Then you held her captive until I showed up. Oh, and when I got to you, you had hold of her, she was hysterical and her arm was broken. This ringing any bells yet?”

What little blood remained in Yon's face drained and he backed away, shaking his head. “I didn't... I would _never_.... Vers... Car-Ol, whatever you're calling yourself, you _know_ I'd never do something like that!”

Carol's heart thudded and she involuntarily took a step closer to him, before snapping out of it. “You did do it, Yon. And you're going to pay. Whether you remember it or not, doesn't matter.” Lies. She wasn't even sure why she'd said that. It did make a difference. Because _this_ Yon, who was appalled at what he had done, wasn't the crazed man she'd found on Koonar. This was the man she had thought he was, back on Hala, kind and honorable. And, although she hated herself for it, part of her wanted to see if, now, she could get through to him, get him on the right side of the war. She'd never, ever, admit it aloud, but she _had_ missed their friendship, the ways things had been. There was no going back, she told herself harshly, as she slipped from the room without turning to look at Yon again, locking the door behind her. He was her enemy, and had to be treated as such.

Except... what if, now, his amnesia meant that _didn't_ have to be the case? What if things could change? Tears burned her eyes as she remembered what he'd done to Monica. What kind of person was she, that she _wanted_, on some level, to spare the man who could've killed her god-daughter?

Talos was approaching her, his expression stern- no doubt he'd watched that whole interaction on the surveillance cameras, and wanted to remind her of her priorities. She pushed straight past him, not even making eye contact, her thoughts in turmoil. She headed to the bunks, where Monica was now sleeping, Maria at her side. She needed to be with them, her family, so she could calm down, think, and remember who and what really mattered to her.

(Yon-Rogg was not one of those people. He couldn't be, not now. No matter how much it stung to force him from her thoughts. Her family had to come first.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously I don't know if Carol really is Monica's godmother, but for the purposes of this story, she is.


	10. Chapter 10

Fury grumbled to himself as he looked through the small packet of medical supplies he'd been handed, wondering why, exactly, _he_ had been the one nominated to see to Yon-Rogg's injuries. He didn't know how half this alien med stuff worked, and he knew even less than that about Kree biology, not to mention he didn't particularly give a damn whether or not Rogg was in pain. Yet somehow, he'd ended up with this stuff in his hands, and been sent here by Soren to see to him. Oh right, it'd been because none of the Skrulls wanted to go near him, Maria refused on grounds of 'Only if you want his injuries made worse', and Carol had echoed that sentiment (though her expression had said something different.) At any rate, that only left Fury himself. So now, he hesitated outside the locked room, wondering if he could get away with 'Let's not, and say we did' in terms of administering treatment to Yon-Rogg. There was no-one around, after all...

“I wouldn't bother, mate.” Talos' voice echoed from somewhere, startling Fury, and nearly making him drop the supplies. Whirling, he scowled at the Skrull, who didn't bat an eyelid as he stepped out of the shadows.

“You wouldn't bother what?”

“Pretending you've fixed him up,” Talos gestured at the door of the makeshift cell, “When you haven't.”

“He doesn't deserve-” Fury began hotly.

Talos cut him off with an upraised hand. “I know he doesn't. Believe me, if it were up to me, I'd have tossed him out the airlock by now. But...” His expression twisted, as if he were being forced to ingest something bitter. “If he really _has_ lost his memory, then punishing him for something he doesn't remember... it'd make me no better than any other Kree.”

Fury stared at him. “Hold up. Even setting aside this latest incident with Monica- if he really _has_ forgotten about that- isn't he responsible for deaths of hundreds, if not more, of your people, long before Carol got involved?”

“Yes.” Talos' words came through clenched teeth.

“And you'd rather have me patch him up than let him suffer?”

“And if I withhold medical aid, won't I be the type of monster most Kree believe my kind to be?”

Fury had to grudgingly concede that point, but... “Well... If I just didn't go in there, it's not down to you, is it?”

“If you don't patch him up, I will have to.” Talos looked ill at the very thought. “Because believe me, no matter what she tells us or herself, Carol cares. She knows she shouldn't, but she does. Not tending to him will mean he's suffering, which will hurt her, though she'll never admit it, and I think we both know she's been through enough because of him already.”

Fury scoffed. Loudly.

“I know, I know, but six years of friendship, built on lies or not, doesn't disappear into thin air.”

Fury looked Talos straight in the eye. “Do you buy this amnesia garbage?”

The Skrull frowned. “I don't know... on the one hand, it's a convenient excuse for what he's done lately, but on the other... when Carol confronted him, he seemed genuinely confused. And horrified.”

“That means nothing. We've got proof he's a good liar and actor. He had Carol believing she was Kree for years.”

“True-”

“Hang on, wait,” Fury said slowly. “Carol said to me, when we first met, that you guys- Skrulls- can sim recent memories when you shapeshift. How far back is 'recent'?”

Talos shrugged. “Fairly. We'd know the names of people you see regularly, things like that. Why- oh.”

“Yeah, so, if you simmed him-” Fury gestured towards Rogg's cell, “You'd be able to see if he's lying or not?”

“Yes.” Talos folded his arms. Fury raised an eyebrow and waited.

A silence fell.

“Well?”

“I said I would be able to see his recent memories if I took his form. I never said I was actually going to.” Talos affected a shudder. “I'd be scrubbing my skin for a week from the psychological damage of taking on that... _rat's_ form.”

“Oh come on, it'll take you like two seconds, and then I'll know if I need to go in there armed or not.”

“You think it's so easy? _You_ try letting the memories of someone who hates your whole species infect your mind, see how you like it!”

A staring contest ensued, interrupted by a young voice. “Why are you guys yelling?”

Both men whipped round, quickly pulling calm and cheerful looks onto their faces when they saw Monica, broken arm now in a splint and sling, eyes heavy and hair mussed from sleep, but looking far relaxed than she had been earlier, eyeing them curiously.

“We're not yelling,” Fury replied automatically, his tone reassuring. “We're just... talking about something, that's all.”

“How are you feeling?” Talos queried, smiling warmly at her. “You look better.”

“I'm OK, now I'm back with family.” Monica's sweet smile warmed both men's hearts. She glanced at the locked door that Talos had unconsciously stepped in front of, and bit her lip. “I heard you guys though. Is... is _he_ really in there?”

“He's locked in, sweetheart, he can't get out, so you don't need to worry.” Talos soothed her.

She frowned slightly. “No, I know, but...” Big brown eyes turned to Fury. “You said something about amnesia. Doesn't that mean lost memories? He's lost his memory, like Auntie Carol did?” Her brow creased, as if she were deep in thought.

Fury exchanged looks with Talos. “Yes...” His reply was hesitant. Would Maria and Carol want the kid knowing this? He could just picture them both screaming at him if the answer was no...

“So we're gonna help him, right?”

Both men's jaws dropped simultaneously. “Monica, why would you want...”

She shifted on her feet, fidgeting. “Cos I know he did bad things to me and Auntie Carol, but... he kind of looked after us too. He helped Auntie Carol get better after she got caught in the explosion and got her powers, right? Kind of, anyway. And when the ship he had me on crashed because of me, he tried to keep me safe. So... he's not all bad, right?”

“...I think you're forgetting a lot of the lying, brainwashing, kidnapping, and hurting you stuff in that story, Monica.”

She shrugged uneasily- then winced as the movement jostled her arm. “Yeah, I know, and he still scares me, but... you guys have done bad stuff to each other, before, and you get along OK now.” She turned to Talos. “You thought Auntie Carol and Nick were bad guys when you first met, and you all fought. You hurt each other, but you're friends now, aren't you?”

“That's... different.” But even as he said it, Talos looked uncomfortable.

“Why?”

“Because, young lady, we learned better.” Fury said sternly.

“After you talked about stuff and figured it out! Who says the Kree guy won't?”

There was a long silence, as both men struggled to think of a comeback, and came up empty-handed.

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Fury finally muttered, gaze on the floor. Talos, vaguely familiar with the phrase's meaning from his brief time on Terra, nodded. Because, as hard a pill as it was to swallow, Monica had a point. Yon-Rogg had only ever learned about the Kree-Skrull war from the Kree perspective, and he was quite possibly brainwashed as much as Carol had been by Kree propaganda. Perhaps, now, with a good portion of his memory gone, he could be molded into some semblance of a person with a conscience... Without another word, Fury clutched the medkit, unlocked the cell and stalked inside, slamming the door behind him, leaving Talos, a deeply thoughtful look on his face, to shepherd Monica away.

The Skrull general, meanwhile, was already half convinced that his ever-compassionate wife Soren might've put this kind of idea into Monica's head. But that didn't mean she was wrong, however little he liked it.


	11. Chapter 11

Yon-Rogg sighed heavily as he leaned against the wall of his 'cell'- really nothing more than a storage room. Just what had Vers- or Car-Ol, whatever she called herself- gotten mixed up in? The Terran who had grudgingly appeared to tend to Yon's injuries several hours ago had been muttering under his breath the entire time- and then Yon had had to explain how to use a basic medkit! Were Terrans _really_ so backward? How did they deal with their injured if not with simple sprays and liquids that could clean and close wounds instantly? Regarding his situation, the worst-case scenario was that Vers was telling him the truth- years had passed, there had been some showdown between her, the Skrulls and him, and he had simply lost his memory of those events.

It was preposterous, but... if it wasn't true, why would she come up with a story that was so ridiculous that he would never believe it? She knew him better than to lie to him with something so unlikely. But if it _was_ true...

His mind rebelled instantly against that notion, years of training in the military throwing up objections, reminding him of the sheer number of soldiers and civilians lost to Skrull attacks. How many he himself had seen die when they uncovered rogue Skrull cells. Now Vers wanted him to believe that the Skrulls were victims, and the Kree the aggressors? It was nonsense.

And yet... it nagged at him as more time passed, leaving him alone with no distractions, sending his thoughts into a never ending circle, the fact that in almost all cases that he had been involved in, _they_ had exposed the Skrulls and attacked them, _they_ had begun the fighting. Why had he never truly thought about that before? He shook his head. Because he was a loyal Kree. Their missions against the Skrulls had always been because of orders they had been given by the Intelligence. They had always stated that They had information that the Skrulls were about to attack yet more innocents, so the Kree soldiers had to act first, preventing that and saving lives.

A shiver ran down his spine as something occurred to him. _The Skrulls were on the verge of slaughtering innocents? On each and every single occasion that the Kree had attacked them?_ He shook his head. Thinking about it calmly, outside the intense focus of a mission, he realized that surely that could not be true _every_ time- he alone had been a part of thousands of missions! It was a blasphemous thought, to even consider this, but... perhaps the Intelligence was... mistaken, and there had been instances when a _few_ Skrulls had only wished for peace, but They had not known that. Nausea churned within him as he struggled to accept this defiance of the Kree's leader- it went against everything he had ever known, but it was, scarily, all too plausible.

But the entirety of Vers' story, Talos himself, the infamous Skrull General, only fighting for a home and a family? No. That was sheer madness. Talos was quite possibly _the_ most dangerous Skrull out there. Vers had to be mistaken about that. Or else Talos was deceiving her, wanting a being with her power to stay firmly on his side, as manipulative and cruel, as that was.

_You and the Intelligence did the exact same thing when you discovered her._

The voice of Yon's own conscience made him shudder, wishing he could ignore it, but it was the truth. He _had_ lied to and manipulated Vers to keep her on the side of the Kree. He had seen only a powerful weapon to aid them in the war, and had done what he thought was necessary. His fondness for Vers had come later. So, even though Talos was likely doing the same thing- it would be hypocritical of Yon to fault him for it.

And the other parts of Vers' tale, that he had apparently kidnapped a Terran _child_ to lure Vers back to his side... He still had only the faintest recollection of even seeing the child, but if it was true... why had he done something so cruel, instead of simply tracking Vers down himself? Shaking his head, he strode towards the wall, suddenly aware of one sure way to discern if this was all some nightmare, or a prank, or not. All ships had basic maintenance panels in every room that could be shifted by hand, in case a being needed a different composition of air or an altered gravity level to function. A brief search revealed such a panel in this room, and as he activated it, his mouth went dry, his heart pounding. These panels kept track of the time and date, so he was seconds away from the truth. Had he truly lost over two years of memories (and quite possibly, his reason)? Was Vers telling the truth? Or was this still some long drawn-out joke made in extremely poor taste?

Inhaling deeply, he stared at the date displayed in the corner of the panel, and his eyes widened. He staggered backwards, his hands shaking, mind reeling, scrambling for denials that did not appear.

Vers had not been lying about the time that had passed, at least. Almost _three years_ had passed since the mission on Torfa, his last clear memory before waking aboard this ship. Did that mean Vers' wild story was true, that the team had turned on her on his orders, on the Intelligence's orders? That might also mean she was telling the truth about Talos and his people, which caused a horrifying well of doubt about the Kree's war to almost swallow Yon-Rogg whole. Had he _really_ given orders to kill Vers, and to kill innocent Terrans, along with the Skrulls? _Why_?

And apart from that.... who knew where he had been for the following few years? If he really had done what she claimed, kidnapping and terrorizing a child simply because her mother was a friend of Vers'...

What kind of a monster had he become?!


	12. Chapter 12

Carol paced back and forth, unable to sleep, trying to stop the incessant cycle of thoughts in her mind. Again, she felt the urge to turn and walk down to the storage room that was serving as Yon's 'cell', the old habit of spending time with him to distract herself from her problems stronger than she wanted to admit. Letting out a growl of frustration, she clenched her fists. She did not need to go and see him in order to be able to relax. He was the whole damned reason she was on edge, anyway!

“Auntie Carol?”

Carol turned to see a sleepy-eyed Monica standing in the doorway, holding little Anelle's hand. She shook her head at both children in exasperation. “What are you two doing awake? It's late.”

Anelle looked at the floor without replying. Monica simply shrugged. “We couldn't sleep.”

<”I'm afraid of the bad Kree man downstairs.”> Anelle chirped in Skrullish, her purple eyes wide and frightened.

Carol's heart constricted at hearing the fear in the little Skrull's voice, and she walked over and picked her up without another word. Eyeing Monica, she noticed that 'Lieutenant Trouble' didn't look too relaxed either, despite her earlier comments about giving Yon another chance. Carol suspected she'd had a bad dream, and that was why she (and Anelle) were awake at this hour. With that in mind, she replied to Anelle in Universal Common, cuddling her close. “Oh, honey, I promise you, he can't hurt you. He's locked away, and he can't get out.”

<”Show us?”> Anelle looked at her pleadingly. <”We will be able to go back to sleep then.”>

Monica was looking a little disgruntled. “Anelle, I don't understand you when you speak that language.”

<”Sorry.”> Anelle blinked, then giggled. “I mean, sorry.” She turned those imploring eyes back to Carol. “But we'll both feel safer if we can see that the bad Kree is locked away.” From the look she and Monica exchanged, it was obvious that they'd planned this.

Carol shifted her weight from foot to foot, unsure. “I don't know...” It would be a terrible idea to take the kids anywhere near Yon-Rogg, she knew that. But, if it helped them feel safer...

“Please, Auntie Carol?” Monica was staring at her, lower lip trembling. “I had a bad dream and...” She shrugged again, looking away, as if she didn't want to show how upset she was. “I can't sleep til I know he can't hurt me, or anyone else, again.”

Carol inhaled deeply, feeling both of the girls staring at her, unable to think of a good way to talk them out of it. And, really, why shouldn't they get one look at Yon's cell, if that was what it took to reassure them? It wasn't as if she couldn't deal with Yon if he tried something. “OK, I'll take you down there. For _one minute_. You can see him, but you're not going in the room, or talking to him. I'll let you see where he is, and then lock him in again, so you'll both know there's no way he's getting out. Then you're both going to bed. Understand?”

Monica and Anelle almost nodded in unison, Anelle, still held against Carol's side, resting her head on her shoulder, idly fidgeting with a strand of her blonde hair, Monica coming over and slipping her good hand into Carol's free one. “Thank you, Auntie Carol.”

Carol smiled down at her 'niece', squeezing her hand gently as she led her down to the ship's lower levels. She braced herself as they got closer to the corridor that Yon's room/cell was in. _Maria, Talos and Soren would kill me for bringing the kids down here_. But, the girls had asked for this, for their own peace of mind. Besides, Yon was almost certainly asleep. One glimpse of a sleeping captive Kree couldn't do any harm to the girls, could it?

Dropping Monica's hand, she set Anelle down next to her, before stepping forward, standing between them and the makeshift cell door, just in case, as she keyed in the code to unlock it, and cracked it open slightly. Yon sat against the far wall, eyes closed, apparently meditating. Carol moved half an inch to one side so Monica and Anelle could see inside.

“There, see? The door was locked, and I had to use a code to open it. He can't get out and hurt either of you,” she whispered, throwing both girls a reassuring smile.

She'd just begun to close the door again when Yon's eyes shot open and he jumped to his feet in one fluid movement, reaching the partially open door in a second, catching her hand with his own, holding her gaze, an intense, almost desperate, look in his golden eyes. “Vers... Car-Ol. Please. I need to talk to you.” His eyes drifted past her, to where Monica and Anelle stood, and the look of recognition, and guilt on his face when Carol saw Monica reflected in his bright eyes... Even he could not fake emotions to that extent, surely? She bit her lip, then made a decision she knew she would probably end up regretting, glancing quickly at the two girls still behind her.

"Right, you two, you've seen him, you know he can't get out of this room unless I let him, and you know I won't do that. You're perfectly safe, and he can't hurt you again. Now, you both promised. _Bed_."

They hesitated for a moment. Carol did a credible impression of Maria's 'Don't mess with me' face, and Monica took the hint, taking Anelle's hand and leading her away, both girls calling goodnight to Carol while acting as if Yon wasn't there at all.

Once they were alone, Carol used Yon's continued grip on her hand to shove him backwards, away from the door, before overcoming her inner voice that was screaming 'This is a mistake!' and stepping into his room, closing the door behind her. Staring him down, she folded her arms, ignoring the feelings of familiarity and nostalgia that washed over her: how often had she sought him out when sleep eluded her?

But things were different now, she reminded herself. All that had been a lie, and she couldn't risk letting her guard down, letting him in again, not after all he'd done. Even if he had lost his recent memories, she could not let herself trust him. 

"It's late. I'm tired." She spoke harshly, making a point of glancing at the time, displayed on her implanted watch in her wrist. "You have five minutes. If you have something to say, say it."

Those mesmerising gold eyes found hers again, now so full of misery and confusion that her heart lurched. Part of her wanted to comfort him. But no. "What did you want to talk about, Yon? Your time's going. Get on with it." She tapped her foot on the floor impatiently, staring over Yon's shoulder to avoid having to see the turmoil in his eyes again. 

She would _not_ let him fool her this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this story is back! Sorry it's been so long, and that this chapter is kind of short, I'm still trying to figure out where all this will lead. Hopefully it's enjoyable anyway. 
> 
> Speech inside <"these arrow symbols"> is Skrull language.


End file.
